How can cheap electricity from RES be implemented for industry

Of Thanks to Floudopoulos

Bilateral industry RES contracts are a very important tool to address the high energy costs for industry. This is, as he stressed speaking at an event on energy and industry organized by Hellenic Production, the ND MEP M. Spyraki for a win win tool as on the one hand it secures the RES investor, who sells at a fixed price and guarantees and at the same time secures the buyer that is, the industry that also buys guaranteed quantities of energy at constant prices. As Ms. Spyraki pointed out, in Greece we do not have a mature market or a good operation of the energy market model, however we can see a complex model that is applied in countries such as Poland and Romania.

with a combination of tools for the possibility of purchasing energy from industry. In these countries there is the possibility of both bilateral contracts and industry participation in auctions to build its own energy portfolio. Ms. Spyraki cited examples such as Norsk Hydro’s bilateral contract with Green Investment Group, which is the largest in Europe for 29 years and will utilize wind energy. Microsoft has had a similar bilateral contract with Vattenfall since 2017. According to Ms. Spyraki, there are problems and distortions in the Greek market as there are no incentives for bilateral contracts from producers to industry, while she herself was in favor of the proposal to create an independent RES market in the energy exchange that could enable concluding bilateral contracts without price dependence on the next day market.

At the same event, the General Manager of European Aluminum Gerd Goetz stressed that electricity bills have increased by 300% and large foundries are forced to close, with Europe accounting for losses of 700 thousand tons of aluminum production and 30% of primary production.

Mytilineos European and Regulatory Affairs Director Nikos Keramidas referred to the contradictions of European policy, noting that the EU stopped exploring for gas, increasing fuel imports while seeking energy independence by turning to RES, having stopped producing panels for photovoltaics imported from China. Thus, from one gas monopoly, Europe passes to the RES equipment monopoly from China. According to Mr. Keramidas, the EU climate policy suffers in design.

National industrial policy

For his part, the Vice President of Hellenic Production and CEO of Epilektos Euripides Dontas spoke about the absence of a national strategy for the industry. “We need a framework where the rules do not change. There used to be 100 textiles in Greece and now there is only one left, ours. And it is sad.” The example of Poland was mentioned by the CEO of Alumil G. Mylonas, noting that when the country decided to develop the industry, it subsidized the cost of transporting the companies. Eleni Koliopoulou, president of the Association of Industries of Thessaly and Central Greece, raised the issue of financing, while the president of the Union of Industrial Energy Consumers, Antonis Kontoleon, urged the competent authorities to introduce the obligation of electricity producers to have 25% of their production. , so that the latter provide more competitive energy.